Case Ref: 22 009 062 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council agreed to improve its procedure when considering whether to make changes to a pupil's Education, Care and Health Plan that arise from new information as opposed to a statutory review. It agreed that it would aim to respond to such queries within four weeks and put any additional provision in place within 12 weeks. It also agreed that it would put a procedure in place where it could identify any cases where these timescales were being exceeded so that it could escalate them for further action.

Case Ref: 22 009 769 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council should remind officers of the need to maintain adequate records in EHC plan cases. This is particularly important to ensure continuity should there be staff turnover or absences and cases are passed to other officers.

Case Ref: 22 008 696 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council has agreed to circulate guidance to relevant staff, highlighting the communication error which happened in this case, and reminding them of the importance of properly familiarising themselves with the details of EHC plans they are responsible for, especially when a case is newly-assigned to them.

Case Ref: 22 004 517 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council has told the Ombudsman that its SEN processes have been reviewed and improved.the Council will give a brief account of how the new procedures are working in practice.

Case Ref: 21 019 131 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• Review the standard letter it sends to accompany draft Education Health and Care plans and ensure that the information in the letter is compliant with the Special Education and Needs code of practice, particularly with regard to appeal rights.

Case Ref: 21 018 706 Category: Education Sub Category: COVID-19

• The Council will remind social care staff and agencies providing services on behalf of hte Council to Looked after Children that they need to make considered balanced risk assessment decisions when applying national public health guidance.

Case Ref: 21 012 594 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Safeguarding

• The Council will remind staff handling adult safeguarding cases of the importance of keeping in regular contact with the adult and/or their representatives, especially when there are delays in the investigation beyond its control.

Case Ref: 21 012 115 Category: Education Sub Category: Alternative provision

• Within six weeks, the Council will tell the Ombudsman how it is improving its supply of tutors for pupils unable to attend school or use online learning.

Case Ref: 21 011 563 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The complainant had problems with navigating the Council's SEN portal. The Council will seek her views about this to see if any improvements can be made to its portal for the benefit of all parents/carers.